disrupting myself, or the jump from Product Marketing to Product Management

Evernote as a To-do /Task List on Windows Phone

I was pleasantly surprised when an Evernote Reminders update on Windows Phone appeared, just days after the announcement and iOS update.

Evernote is a pretty flexible app – so flexible that people have even used it with a GTD methodology. It has a lot going for it – availability on almost every device with cloud sync, email adding, ability to add pictures and audio, potential for collaboration etc. One thing that has stopped me though from replacing my task apps though, is the lack of a notification system. Now with Reminders though, have things changed?

Not quite there… Yet.

In the past few weeks, I’ve found that while some of my larger, long term projects and tasks go into Evernote, there are a few things that stop me from completely replacing my current WP favorite, Top Task List:

At least 3 actions to set a new reminder

No centralized view of Reminders (unlike iOS)

No Live Tile

I’m sure Evernote will update the app, but as is those are my gripes with Reminders. Where I’m finding it useful is when I have some time to take stock of life (usually on a desktop or iPad) or there’s a lot of supporting/extra information in the form of checklists or an email thread. With that, here are some tips to make full use of Evernote Reminders on WP.

1. Set reminders faster.

The easier and faster it is to do something, the more likely you’ll do it. Pin a New Note shortcut to your start screen and remove one tap (opening the app) between you and setting that reminder:

Take the shortcut!

2. Keep important reminders together.

Unlike iOS, where in “All Notes” you can see reminders across notebooks), there is no centralised view of reminders on WP. I have a “Todo” notebook that I use to keep important notes, so I can add a shortcut to this on the home view, as well as pin it to the Start Screen. It doesn’t have a Live Tile, but at least it’s easiest to find all my reminders and access them quickly.

Pin your reminders notebook to the start

3. Arrange your reminders.

Make it easier to view your reminders by setting them in order. While in a notebook, tap the “…” in the bottom right to bring up the menu. There are settings for showing reminders in a task list format, as well as sorting them by date.

4. Get familiar with e-mail syntax.

I’m a big fan of Evernote’s e-mail support. You can create email tasks for one, keeping a view of the conversation for reference when you get down to work. Another great thing is that while other may not support a direct export to Evernote, they usually support a Share by Email function, meaning you can create reminders from things like news articles and images.

The Conclusion

So there you have it, a quick look at Evernote as a to-do list on WP. I’d love to hear if you have any alternative ways of using Evernote! You can leave a note in the comments below, or find me on Twitter @wasabigeek.